Orsterra Pilgrimage
by CianTheMighty
Summary: Alfyn makes a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Prince of Thieves in the Cliftlands. He brings the gift of good food, warm drink, fine spirits, something good to read, and a nice hot cup of coffee.


The Cliftlands were always so much colder than one would expect them to be just by looking. Alfyn had not been back for very long and he was already chilled through. The temperature was always the worst part of venturing there - that and the howling winds - as he never remembered to wear the best gloves. He rubbed his hands together to put some life back in his fingers and hefted his heavy pack up to a better position. He flinched at the sound of the glass bottles rattling against each other. Nothing seemed to be broken, so he let out a sigh of relief. He continued his solitary trek towards Quarrycrest, and his destination just beyond it.

The Shrine of the Prince of Thieves was as cold and lonely a place as Alfyn remembered it. He shivered a little as he approached the mighty dais at the end of the hallway. The place was barren and littered with crumbling stones. He reached out for the figure of a blade atop the ersatz plinth and without warning the voice of the old god sounded in his mind. It was every bit as high and mighty as Alfyn remembered. Unknowable, and terribly world-weary.

**You return, Traveler.**

"Yep," Alfyn said brightly. "I sure have. What a relief, eh? I wasn't too sure that I'd be able to hear your voice again if I did this. Professor Albright sure had his doubts about that. Therion owes me twenty leaves."

**Alas. I have no more to teach you.**

"I know," Alfyn said hastily. "I didn't come all the way back here for any more sacred knowledge or anything like that. I really am grateful for the knowledge you already gave us. Seriously! You helped me and my friends out of a lot of scrapes."

**Traveler? Why are you still here? There is nothing more to be gained from -**

"Yeah," Alfyn replied. "I get all that. I, uh, actually came back here to see if you wanted anything."

The voice in the shrine went totally silent for a moment. Quite a long moment, to tell the truth. Alfyn almost thought that the voice was gone for good. Even the howling winds Alfyn hated so much seemed to go silent.

**... Come again?**

The voice was oddly animated - even incredulous - though Alfyn couldn't imagine why.

"I came back to see if you wanted anything," Alfyn said slowly. "Are you dense in the head or something? N-No offense meant by that, your godliness. I just thought that it must get real lonely-like all stuck in a shrine for eternity like you godly folk are. I know I always feel lonely when I come here, so I came back to see if you wanted anything. Whatever I can do to ease your path, you know? Like you eased ours."

**Traveler.**

"D-Do you want any snacks?" Alfyn said hastily, talking over himself. "Anything to eat?" He shouldered off his pack in his excitement and cringed when the bottles clinked together again. Nothing was broken, so he rummaged around for something good. "Maybe a nice warm cup of coffee? I brought beans from the Sunlands. I can grind them up real good with a mortar and pestle and make you a cup. Two good friends of mine called Therion and Primrose hooked me up with a reliable supplier, so you don't have to worry about using them all up in one go. You can have more whenever you like. Ain't that well?"

**Traveler. Hold a moment.**

"One of my other friends, a scholar named Cyrus, gave me some good books to read; mostly fables and the like, so you won't get bored... unless you want something a little headier? I can go back and ask him if that's more your style. Goodness knows that Cyrus would be thrilled to provide them." Alfyn chuckled to himself. "Gosh, those fables are probably like biographies to you godly folk. Is that true? I hope I wasn't being insensitive by offering to bring them. What a thoughtless mistake!"

**Traveller. I don't... I don't think that... what is even happening right now?**

"One of my other friends is a merchant. Her name is Tressa. She recommended some real nice fancy wines and aged spirits... but my warrior friend Olberic would only let me bring them to you on the condition that I don't let you drink any of it on your own. I have to stay with you until you sober up, too. I promised Olberic. It's not good to drink alone, he says. Especially if you have something to brood over."

**You will not listen to me, will you? Even if I ask you to stop?**

"I surely won't," Alfyn replied. "You're starting to understand how this works." Alfyn grinned as big a grin as he could manage and waited for the Prince of Thieves to reply. "So? What's your poison? Do you want snacks? Drinks? Booze? Books? I could probably rustle up some titty magazines if you give me some time-"

**... you said you had aged spirits?**

"I surely do."

**... what kind of spirits?**

"Take a look," Alfyn replied, holding open his pack. "Oh! Unless you don't got eyes to see them with. Huh. How about I just hold them up to that there fancy plinth and you can tell me which one sounds nice?"

**That would be well, Traveler. Thank you.**


End file.
